Meet Loki, the motorbiking dog

Black labrador Loki is quite the head turner: riding a Harley-Davidson, sporting protective goggles, earmuffs, and wrapped in a specially designed pooch pack. Casually taking in the view over owner Stevin Creeggan’s shoulders as they cruise the open road is something he’s done since he was a pup.

For five-year-old Loki, accompanying Stevin wherever he goes isn’t just being ‘man’s best friend’ – it’s his job. 

This service dog’s role is to ease the PTSD of former Air Force Sergeant Creeggan, the sole survivor of the 2010 ANZAC Day Iroquois helicopter crash near Wellington.

It was in 2019, while living in Australia and training to participate in the Invictus Games, that a nurse suggested to Stevin – who’d suffered major spinal and leg injuries – the benefits of a service dog.

He wasted no time finding a labrador breeder.

“She went into great detail finding out about my needs and what my day’s usually like when selecting the right dog for me,” says the 52-year-old, who served in the Persian Gulf, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.

“She’d concluded I needed a pup with a very relaxed demeanour because it needed to go everywhere with me without getting over-excited or causing mischief.”

When Stevin told her riding his motorbike was a big part of his life, she suggested taking the dog in a backpack.

The day after eight-week-old Loki arrived at the airport, Stevin took him for a ride, popping the pup in a laptop pack.

“I’d made a hole for his head and sewn a sleeve at the top with a closure to keep him secure.

“He didn’t care about going in it and was just a chilled little fella. At one point we pulled up at a set of traffic lights and some young women stopped alongside us. It was so funny seeing their reaction because I think they thought Loki was a stuffed toy.”

As Loki grew, Stevin ordered a pack from China designed especially for dogs. It had ventilation panels for hotter weather, holes for Loki’s head and front legs, and straps that secured around his body to limit movement.

“He seemed pretty comfortable with that but as he got heavier it became clear that with my injuries, I wouldn’t be able to take his weight for much longer.”

Over a drink with a mate, the idea was germinated for a metal plate that could be inserted into the backpack to distribute Loki’s weight onto the bike’s seat rather than Stevin’s shoulders. 

And as Loki continued to grow, Stevin – concerned to keep the labrador as safe as possible and afraid the pack wouldn’t be strong enough – decided to make his own from scratch.

“My mum is a seamstress, so I’d learnt some good skills and have sewing machines of my own. I bought some Kiwi-themed cotton, and the colours – red, white and black – are the same as the social military motorbike club I belong to.”

These hues match his bike too, which he has hand painted. The 2013 Fat Bob celebrates his military career, which covers 11 years in the Navy, before joining the Air Force.

To the inside of his backpack, Stevin added waterproof ripstop fabric for strength, and the metal plate – padded for comfort – to support Loki’s weight on the back seat. He attached a cushioned pad at the bag’s base, polar fleece lining at the neck for extra comfort, pockets for heated pads, and straps around the outside strong enough to hold 100kg.  

“It’s probably over-engineered but since he’s basically part of me, I made sure there’s no way he could get hurt by falling out. It’s a very padded backpack that’ll protect him in the event of an accident.”

Loki, now a healthy 25kg, loves the rides, Stevin says, to the point that if he’s left at their home in Mapua, he pines from the minute he hears the bike start up to the moment Stevin returns.

“I know he loves it because I watch him with his head up and his gums flapping in the breeze, and he doesn’t like being away from me. So many people do a double take at the sight of a dog in a backpack. And seeing their smiles is just great.”

Loki’s training means that if he senses Stevin having anxiety issues, he distracts him back to the present by doing things like pulling on the leash, knocking him with his nose, putting his head on his lap, or even sitting on him.

Although Loki has an important job, his doting owner makes sure he has plenty of down time. “He has his dog time where he gets to play, and he loves to swim and chase a ball.

“He can be a very mischievous but without him I wouldn’t be in the mental space I am now. He’s just an amazing pal!”